Did some trail riding this morning..................

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

A good friend of mine and of Dave Hollandsworths, Steve Mony, and I did a three hour loop on the Southwest Way park, horse trails this morning.

We did the short trail loop, ten miles. Steve had to get back by 12:00 noon to give a riding lesson. Steve is the owner of Briarcroft Stables and we've been friends for over 20 years. Dave and I are slowly weaning Steve into shooting NCOWS. Briarcroft is where I bought my horse.

The trails are on the south west side of Indianapolis, and to be that close to the city, it has plenty of steep hills and long open places to really work your horse. It is right next to white river and winds down to the river...really nice area all forested with some old growth timber.

To be this close to Indy, the trails start out very high and roll down to the river. The longest loop is eighteen miles. 

I don't know how many will be interested but I've been teaching this horse to lay down and thought I would post some photos to show his progress next week. I've got him down on one knee , sort of like a bow. The next step will be to get him to roll over on his side.

A lot of fun......

Bill

[Tjackstephens]

Bill, I guess as a kid I was sure lucky. My Dad worked in the oil field and we lived right on one of the leases. We were the end of the gravel road. Everthing past us was oil field roads or REA lines. Both very good horse back riding. I would get home from school and do my chores, get Billy (American Saddle Horse) saddle him and off we would go. He was easy to get and would come right to me, whether in pasture or stable. Maybe it was the cube of sugar, apple, or carrot I always had him. But I think he enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Sure had some good times with Billy. I understand your love for a good horse. Tj

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

TJ.....Mine likes the old hard ginger snap cookies you get at the dollar store and hard peppermint candy.

Bill

[Pinto Jim]

rode those trails many a time when my brother lived over on Hadley Road was always good times.

[Ottawa Creek Bill]

Pinto...where on Hadley road? I live a mile south of Hadley road on Mann road. And, how long are you talking about? When I was a kid they used to have motorcycle hill climbs there on Mann hill where the trails are now. There is a golf course there too.

Bill

[Tjackstephens]

Bill, when I was a kid there were no dollar stores. If we had peppermint candy and ginger snap cookies, my sister would have kept them for her own. Mother made corn bread for the hunting dogs and Billy sure liked that corn bread too. Ole Tex our quarter horse knew where she sat the corn bread on the back porch to cool. If Tex got loose that is where he would go. It was a different time growing up in Kentucky then. They say we had a lot less, but I wonder. Tj

[Dr. Bob]

TJ,

I gotta agree.  Less may be more when you think about it.  Having the opportunity to do what we did and not worry about creeps and such was sure a lot better than growing up today.